Apparatus for automatically playing pianofortes, carillons, and other musical instruments.



J J.- WALKER. APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PLAYING PIANOFORTES,GARILLONS, AND OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION IILED JULY 12,1909.

1,017,932. Patented Feb.20, 1912.

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COLUMllA PLANOGRAPH 60., WASHINGTON, D. c.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES JOHN WALKER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PLAYING PIANOFORTES, CARILLONS, AND OTHERMUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. July 12, 1909. Serial No. 507,160.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES JOHN WALKER, a subject of the King of theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 27 Francisstreet, Tottenham Court Road, London, England, have invented new anduseful Improvements Connected with Apparatus for Automatically PlayingPianofortes, Oarillons, and other Musical Instruments, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for automatically playingpianofortes, carillons, and other musical instruments, especiallyapparatus such as that described in the specification of application forLetters Patent Serial Number 275611 filed August 24th 1905.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing which is a vertical section of key-actuating mechanism accordingto the said invention.

According to the present invention there is provided, as in theapparatus described in the beforement-ioned patent, a plurality ofpneumatics or motors for each key 1 or 2 to be operated, these motorsbeing coupled together and caused to act upon the same key-depressingsticker 3 or 4. To simplify and facilitate the description of theinvention, each set of motors for operating each of the keys 1, 2, isherein assumed, as a convenient example, to consist of two, and theseare herein referred to as the soft motor and the loud motorrespectively. Two such sets are represented in the drawing, one (thelower set) serving to actuate the white key 1 through the sticker 3, andthe other (the upper set) serving to actuate the black key 2 through thesticker 4. These two sets of motors being practically identical thefollowing description of one such set will serve for both.

The interior of the soft motor 5 is normally in open communication withthe atmosphere through a passage 6 and port 7, the latter adapted to beclosed by a valve 8 which normally, as shown, closes another port 9through which the said motor may be placed in open communication withthe interior of a suction chamber 10, the said port being formed in thefront wall of the said chamber. The valve 8 is what may be regarded as adouble-beat valve, opening the two ports 7 and 9 in alternation, and itis carried on a stem 11 which is fast to a flexible diaphragm or primarypneumatic 12 mounted on a rigid partition 13 dividing the suctionchamber 10 into two compartments a and b. The space behind the flexiblediaphragm 12, and inclosed within the partition 13, is, through a tube14, in open communication with the respective port 15 of the trackerboard 16, and also, through a small passage 17 with the chamber 1).

The interior of each of the loud motors 18, is normally closed tosuction by a valve 19 cooperating with a port 20, the said valve beingcontrolled by a flexible diaphragm 21 similar in construction andoperation to the diaphragm 12 before described. The interior of eachloud motor 18 is normally in free communication with the atmospherethrough a port 22 opening directly out of its main passage 23, and aport 24 opening out of another port 25. The port 2 1 is controlled by avalve 26 which is manually ad justable by means of its stem 27 which isscrew-threaded and capable of being screwed backward and forward in thestationary bar 28 which also serves to guide the outer end of the stem29 of the before mentioned valve 19. The valve 19 is adapted to open andclose the ports 20 and 25 in alternation, and its stem 29 also carries avalve 30 which normally closes the port 25 and is opened simultaneouslywith the opening of the port 20 by the valve 19. The port 22 is adaptedto be opened and closed by a valve 31 fast to a spindle 32 whose upperend is fast to a flexible diaphragm or motor 33. The under side of thediaphragm 33 is always exposed to atmospheric pressure, while its upperside is always exposed to the condition prevailing within the passage 6whether such condition be that of the atmosphere, as when the valve 8closes the port 9, or that of suction as when the valve 8 closes theport 7.

The soft motor 5 is permanently coupled to the loud motor 18 by acoupling rod or sticker 34 and is acted upon by a spring 3 1* whichserves to return both of such motors to their respective normalpositions. The flexible or collapsible walls of each loud motor are whatis knownas ribbed, that is to say they are formed of, or reinforced withcardboard, as indicated by the dotted lines 35, to prevent them beingforced outward when the said loud motor acts as a retarder to thecompanion soft motor, as next described.

The tune sheet 36, is, as described in Let ters Patent Serial Number331,910, filed August 21th 1906, provided with two perforations for eachkey 1 or 2 to be operated, one slot for controlling the operation of themotor 5, and the other for controlling the operation of the motor 18.lVhen the slot appertaining to the soft motor 5 registers with therespective tracker board port 15, atmospheric air is admitted throughthat port, and causes the flexible diaphragm 12 to move toward the rightas viewed in the drawing and thereby to move the valve 8 so as to openthe port 9 and close the port 7 with the result that the passage 6 andthe interior of the motor 5 are placed in open communication with thesuction chamber 10, and, as a consequence thereof the motor'5 iscollapsed and the respective key 1 or 2 is depressed to sound thecorresponding note. By the exhaustion or partial exhaustion of air fromthe passage 6, the diaphragm 38 is raised by the external atmosphericpressure and caused to close the port 22 by means of the valve 31, sothat the interior of the loud motor 18,which, during the collapsing ofthe soft motor 5, serves to retard such collapse,is then open toatmosphere only through the valve-controlled port 2 1 the valve 26 ofwhich may be adjusted to suit any desired touch required to be given bythe automatic player. WVhen the slot appertaining to the loud motor '18registers with the respective tracker board port 15,which it doespractically simultaneously with, or more or less afterthe just describedregistration, atmospheric air is thereby admitted through the respectivetube 14: to the back of the diaphragm 21, the latter is moved by the airtoward the right as viewed in the drawing, with the result that thevalve 19 is moved so as to open the port 20 and close the port 25, toatmosphere, the valve 30 is caused to open the said port 25, the resultbeing that the loud motor 18 is collapsed and caused to augment thepower exerted on the key 1 or 2 by the motor 5. hen the tune sheetperforations pass out of register with the tracker board ports 15thatappertaining to the loud motor 18 first, or practically simultaneouslywith that appertaining to the soft motor 5-the suction through the smallpassage 17 acting on the left hand side (as viewedin the drawing) of therespective diaphragm 21, assisted by the atmospheric pressure on theright hand face of the corresponding valve 19, moves the said valve fromthe port 25 to the port 20 opening the former and closing the latterthereby closing the interior of the loud motor to suction and leavingthe said motor free to expand. At practically an instant later theperforation appertaining to the soft motor 5 passes out of register withthe respective tracker board port 15, with the result that thecorresponding valve 8 will be caused to close the port 9 and open theport 7 whereupon, atmospheric air being admitted to the passage 6, thevalve 31 by gravity falls into its open position and thereby admits airfreely into the motor 18 and the spring 134* immediately thereafterre'elxpands the motors 5 and 18.

The before described improvements are particularly applicable for use inconnection with pianofortes and organs, but it is to be understood thatthey are also applicable for use in connection with other musicalinstruments, for example, very good results are obtained by their use inconnection with carillons.

Although the before described apparatus has been described as-operatedby suction, it will be readily understood that, with suitablemodifications, which will readily suggest themselves to those versed inthe art, it may be worked by pressure.

I claim 1. An automatic musical instrument or player comprising aplurality of positively connected motors operative upon each key oractuating lever; separate sets of control valves to each motor adaptedto be individually controlled by the music sheet, and additionalcontrolling means in connection with one motor so arranged as to beoperative c0- incidentally with energization of a second motor to checkfree action of the said one motor when the latter is de'ejnergized anddriven by the second motor.

2. An automatic musical instrument or player comprising a plurality ofpositively connected motors operative upon each key or actuating lever;separate sets of control valves to each motor adapted to be individuallycontrolled by the music sheet, additional controlling means inconnection with one motor so arranged as to be operative coincidentallywith energization of a second motor to check free action of the said onemotor when the latter is deenergized and driven by the second motor; andan adjustment operative in connection with the said one motor to varythe effective retardation offered by this motor to the driving influenceof the said second motor.

3. An automatic musical instrument or player comprising a plurality ofpositively connected motors operative upon each key or actuating lever;separate sets of control valves to each motor adapted to be individuallycontrolled by the music sheet, additional controlling means inconnection with one motor so arranged as to be operative coincidentallywith energization of a second motor to check free action of the said onemotor ii when the latter ,is deenergized and driven by the second motor;and a manually adjustable valve operative in connection with the saidone motor the adjustment in one direction or the other bein adapted tovary the effective retardation o ered by the said one motor.

4. An automatic musical instrument orplayer comprising a plurality ofpositively connected motors operativeupon each key or actuating lever;separate sets of control valves to each motor the set corresponding toone motor comprising a valve controlling the communication between theinterior of this motor and the atmosphere; a motordevice adapted to beenergized coincidentally with the other motor; and operative connectionbetween said motor-device and said valve.

5. An automatic musical instrument or player comprising a plurality ofpositively connected motors operative upon each key or actuating leverone of such motors having two means of communication with theatmosphere; separate sets of control valves to each motor the setcorresponding to one motor comprising a valve controlling onecommunication between the interior of this motor and the atmosphere; amotor-device adapted to be energized coincidentally with the othermotor; operative connection between said motor device and said valve;and

a manually adjustable valve controlling a second communication betweenthe interior of said motor and the atmosphere.

6. An automatic musical instrument or player comprising a plurality ofpositively connected motors operative upon each key or actuating leverone of such motors having two means of communication with theatmosphere; a double beat valve to each motor, a tracker board, a musicsheet in cooperative relation therewith, motor devices operative uponrespective double beat valves and controlled by the passage of the musicsheet over the tracker board to energize or deenergize respectivemotors; a valve controlling one communication between the interior ofone of said motors and the atmosphere; a motor-device subject to thesame power control as another of said motors; operative connectionbetween said motor-device and said valve; and a manually adjusted valvecontrolling a second communication between the interior of said motorand the atmosphere.

7. An automatic musical instrument or player comprising a plurality ofpositively connected motors operative upon each key or actuating leverone of such motors having two means of communication with theatmosphere; adouble beat valve to each motor, a tracker board, a musicsheet in cooperative relation therewith, motor devices operative uponrespective double beat valves and controlled by the passage of the musicsheet over the tracker board to energize or deenergize respectivemotors; a valve controlling one communication between the interior ofone of said motors and the atmosphere; a motor device subject to thesame power control as another of said motors; operative connectionbetween said motor device and said valve; a manually adjusted valvecontrolling a second communication between the interior of said motorand the atmosphere; a by-pass to said valve; and a control valve on saidby-pass operated simultaneously with the corresponding double-beatvalve.

8. An automatic musical instrument or player comprising a plurality ofpositively connected motors operative upon each key or actuating leverone of such motors having two means of communication with theatmosphere; a double beat valve to each motor, a tracker board, a musicsheet in cooperative relation therewith, motor devices operative uponrespective double beat valves and controlled by the passage of the musicsheet over the tracker board to energize or deenergize respectivemotors; a valve controlling one communication between the interior ofone of said motors and the atmosphere; a motor device subject to thesame power control as another of said motors; operative connectionbetween said motor device and said valve; and a screw down valvecontrolling a second communication between the interior of said motorand the atmosphere.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES JOHN WALKER. WVitnesses HENRY HART, F. W. BELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G.

